


Sunset of the Jedi

by SnowTrashFlower (RoseFission)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo is a dork who loves calligraphy, Bisexual Ben Solo, Coming Out, Cuddling, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Force Visions, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Jedi Ben Solo, Jedi Reader, Jedi Temple, Kissing, Mutual Pining, Telepathy, bisexual reader, discussions of the Force, minor foreshadowing of Kylo Ren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-02-23 17:30:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13195050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseFission/pseuds/SnowTrashFlower
Summary: You’re a student training at Luke’s Jedi Temple. One evening, Ben calls to you through the Force…





	Sunset of the Jedi

It's a regular school day at the New Jedi Temple. You go to see Master Luke during his office hours to clear up some confusion about a history exercise. Was it a mistranslation to say that fish took care of the first Jedi Temple?

You hear voices inside, so you wait outside the door. Master Luke is busy, and you don’t mind waiting.

You decide to check the translation one more time on your datapad, but your attention strays when you recognize the voice of the student inside.

_Ben._

His voice is low and insistent.

“That would be showing preference,” Master Luke says, “I cannot do that.”

“But the...”

Their voices drift in and out.

“...they expect it, because you’re family” Master Luke states, “if I show less concern for you, it is not because I care less, but to keep you from preferential treatment”

“I understand,” Ben said bitterly.

“You’ve advanced in your training so quickly...I trust you may deal with this on your own.”

“Right.”

You hear a fluttering of robes and you hasten to knock on the door, to make it look as if you’ve just arrived. In your haste, you almost collide with Ben, his tall form hovering over you, your eyes level with the v-neck of his shirt.

“Excuse me,” he mutters and sweeps past you.

Master Luke greets you by your name, and you go into his office.

…

That evening, you lie in bed and watch a rerun of a holo program on your datapad. You’re stalling on your translation exercise. The sunset lights up your room, casting a warm orange glow.

You pause the show, the holo knights freeze in place, and you crawl on your bed over to the window. The sun sweeps over the field behind your hut, the land sloping down to a long lake that curves through the landscape. The scattered trees by the lake have turned into black silhouettes against the sun’s orange glow.

Movement catches your eye, and you see a figure wandering in the direction of the lake.

You watch this tall form walk among the trees, and recognize it to be Ben Solo.

He is unfairly handsome, walking there with his long brown robes billowing in the breeze. Attachments are forbidden to the Jedi, and you have never felt more grateful for this rule then when you first saw him. This proud Skywalker, famous nephew of the even more famous Luke, attracted the gaze of every pupil in the school. And like every pupil, you had all taken a vow of celibacy. Attachments were forbidden, but gazing was not, and you’d discreetly stared at his pretty form often enough. Besides, without attachments, you had no fear of rejection. At least none beyond what had already happened.

Perhaps it was a reluctance to speak about his celebrity family. Or perhaps it was a longing to be the perfect hermit Jedi. Whatever the case, Ben had occupied a rather lonesome existence in the school. He was more likely to take his meals alone in his room, or study in the silent section of the library, then to parade around the dining hall or training grounds, boasting of his accomplishments.

And he was accomplished in more than his looks: you had dueled with him before. His form had been impeccable. His movements quick and light, like a dance. You were one of the few who could ever best him in a fight, and those few moments when he’d kneeled in front of you after surrendering held a particularly fond spot in your heart.

 _Come here_ , said a voice.

You jump and look around the small hut. There’s only one room and it appears empty, but you sense a presence with you. You turn back to the window, heart racing as you see Ben has turned to face your hut. His hand is raised towards you, straining, as if pushing against a wall. He is too far away for you to clearly make out his face. The orange sunset has turned red, shinning around Ben’s dark silhouette.

_Can you hear me? Come here._

It is most definitely his voice, and you can sense his presence.

“How are you doing this?” you ask.

You feel his happiness.

_It works._

“Clearly...but how?”

_The Force, I think. Come outside._

You can sense him leave, and see him lower his hand. You have homework to do, but this is much more interesting.

You clip your light saber to your belt and throw on your over robe.

...

Ben has his back turned to you, as he stands facing the lake. You walk up beside him, and he looks you over.

“Was that too creepy? I saw you at the window and figured I could try.”

“Not...overly,” you say and look him over. His robes were bathed in red light. “I could sense when you were there.”

He stays silent and you fidget with your hands.

“Your caligraphy’s very nice,” he blurts out, “on your meditation assignment.”

“I…thank you?” Your writing’s usually a mess but you’d made an effort to be neat for this project.

“The flourishes on the K’s and R’s especially. I didn’t know you liked the old legend of the Knights of Ren.”

“Yes…” Your attention drifts, and you wonder again how he learned to speak to you in your mind.

“This isn’t something we learned in school,” you say out loud.

His brow furrows. “Calligraphy?”

“No, communicating through the Force.”

He nods.

“Where did you learn that?”

“In an old text.”

“A Jedi text?”

“…not exactly”

You feel a stab of fear. Not Jedi texts? Surely he has not been seduced... he couldn’t be studying the dark side. Surely not...

Luke had warned everyone that the dark side was seductive: their methods were subtle, and so they should all be on the lookout for subversive teachings. The dark side had not been seen in years, except through rumours and shadows. Surely they would not resurface now? In the heart of the only Jedi school?

Your hand creeps over to your light saber, ready to use it.

But then you remember. This is _Ben_.

There is no Jedi less likely to turn to the dark side.

Ben notices your hand on the light saber but makes no remark. He turns away from you and goes to sit under a nearby tree.

“Come sit with me.”

You feel the shame rise in you. How could you consider striking him down as if he were from the dark side? Ben had clearly not sunk so low as to think a fellow student would attack him. He must have thought you were reaching for your light saber to feel comfort, not to threaten him.

You let go of your light saber and sit down beside him.

“You fear the dark side,” he states.

“Doesn’t everybody?”

Ben bites his lip.

“I suppose they must. But…any knowledge of the Force that doesn’t come from the Jedi...must it come from the dark side?”

“Where else would it come from?”

You study his face as he bows his head, picking at the frayed edge of his sleeve.

“I don’t know…perhaps…there was a time before the Force was split into the light and the dark. Perhaps it still exists like this today.”

“That’s blasphemy.”

“Is it? Then why did I find this old text in the Jedi library?”

The school’s library was an impressive collection, but surely Master Luke would have noticed a subversive text had been slipped in.

“Perhaps it’s a mistranslation? Maybe it _was_ written by the Jedi, centuries ago, under a different name?”

“I don’t think so.”

His hands still and he studies your reaction. You look away, and find the red light of the sunset has turned eerie. In the silence, there is only the sound of the water as it laps along the shore of the lake. The haunting beauty of the scene, along with the delight of being in _his_ presence, should be enough to make you simply enjoy the moment. Unfortunately, your morals make you speak up.

“I cannot believe that there’s a _grey_ area in the Force. There’s a good side and a bad side, and the good must win.” 

“What makes the dark side bad?” he asks.

You stare at him in disbelief. Is this a test? Is Master Luke’s nephew charged with secretly rooting out dissent in the ranks?

“The dark side feeds off hate,” you say, “they destroy all that is good.”

“Yet the light side does not allow us to love. No attachments.”

Your heart skips a beat at the way he says love, and your eyes dart to his lips.

“That’s different,” you counter. “Attachments are a distraction from our learning, from our duties. We must always strive to put others first ahead of our own selfish desires.”

“You’re quoting Master Luke,” Ben said, leaning in. “But didn’t he also teach us that only the Sith deal in absolutes? Suppose someone’s desires are only to serve the people over everything else. Is this not selfish?”

“No one ever desires to only serve other people. If they tell you that then they’re a scheming politician.”

 “I think you’ve just described my mother,” Ben laughed.

You bite your tongue and draw back. He always avoided talking about his family. Most of the other students would go home on breaks, visiting their friends or family, but Ben always seemed to be cooped up in the library. You thought he’d hated them, and was purposefully avoiding them, but he seemed quite happy thinking of his mom.

You decide to probe the matter further, since you are quite fond of Senator Leia.

“I hear your mother has been doing important work in the Ileenium system,” you say.

Ben’s smile stays on his face, but the humour leaves his eyes.

“Yes. But I haven’t been keeping track. Politics is not my interest.”

“Oh.”

He notices your disappointment.

“It’s all just people squabbling...” he explains, “nothing ever gets done. Lots of talk, no results.”

“Not in the Ileenium system,” you insist. You’ve been following the developments there for a while now. “They’ve just legalized same-sex marriage. Which isn’t everything, I know, but it is some comfort.”

“Oh.”

He sounds disappointed, though he tries to hide it.

You can feel your frustration brewing up to the surface.

“Yes, that’s exactly what my parents said. I think you’d like them. They don’t care much for ‘politics’ either. But it’s very hard not to, when it affects you personally.”

Your eyes start to go blurry, but you manage to hold back your tears. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Ben reach out and offer his hand. A peace offering. After a moment’s hesitation, you take it and he gives your hand a squeeze.

A part of you is still lost in your sorrow, but another part soars in delight when you remind yourself that you’re holding his hand. Not in the most ideal circumstances, but still.

“Have you told anyone? Keeping secrets can be worse if you have no one to share them with.”

You laugh bitterly.

“I haven’t told anyone at home since I know they won’t accept it, and I haven’t said anything here...well we’re supposed to be above attachments, more focused on abstract goodness and justice.”

You both sit in silence, listening to the soft sounds of the water lapping on the shore of the lake, dyed red in the sunset.

“It really doesn’t help that we’re taught not to hate.” Ben whispered softly.

“What do you mean?”

“We’re supposed to forgive. Be good. But if someone wishes us harm, wishes to destroy us...is it bad to hate them?”

“No. Of course not. I hate all the homophobic politicians who voted against this bill, all the people who rallied against it...” You slowly start to understand his meaning. “So there is a place for hate. As a self-defence.”

“As there should be a place for love.” Ben looks down at your joined hands, and pulls his hand away.

“I don’t mind,” you say.

He furrowed his brow in confusion.

“I’m bisexual.”

“So am I.” He tries to keep a straight face but a smile tugs at his lips. “This explains all your staring. I was starting to doubt my perceptions.”

You feel your face flush hot. “I do not stare. Much.”

“I don’t mind,” he says with a laugh. Ben looks you over, and then leans in. You can feel his breath on your lips. Your heart races, and you lean in too, but before your lips meet, you remember something and pull away.

“Wait,” you say. “What about our vows?”

He opens his eyes and pulls back. You can see him grapple with the question before forming his resolve.

“An archaic custom. Let the past die.”

You smile and close the distance yourself, brushing your lips against his. It’s awkward and clumsy; you seem to have little more experience than him. Your hands make their way to his hair, your fingers thread through his soft locks, and he moans into your mouth. You pull back for air and then kiss him again, more confident this time. He keeps his hands at his side at first, before settling them on your back, then lowering them to your hips to pull you in closer. You end up on his lap, straddling him, and placing light kisses along his jaw and down his neck.

“You might need to wear a scarf tomorrow,” you say as you pull back to look at him. His face is flushed, and a shy smile tugs at his lips. The sun has almost set by now, the red light hitting only the tallest trees and building of the school. “Unless...?”

He shakes his head. “Let’s keep this a secret, for now. We wouldn’t be the first.”

You feel relief in his words, but a shadow seems to cross his face.

“What is it?”

“There’s a darkness coming.”

“I think that’s just the sunset.”

“No, it’s...never mind. I thought it might be a premonition…”  He leans back against the tree, and you curl up on his chest. There’s a quickness to his heartbeat that you sense did not come from the kissing. His fingers twine into your hair as he speaks.

“I’ve been trying to tell Master Luke. There’s something…it’s always been there. I felt it again during our training this morning. After I’d won a duel, I heard it again. A voice congratulating me, but it was not my own. It kept praising me, but it sounded incredibly cold.”

You shiver from his words. The sun has set, and the darkness is absolute, with the stars only now making their appearance. He arranges some of his robes over you like a blanket.

“And what did Master Luke say?” You ask, though you already suspect the answer.

“He seemed to think I could ignore them. That I wouldn’t give in. That they’re not powerful enough to get past my defences.”

“Do you believe him?”

“Of course,” Ben said, placing a kiss on your forehead. “I’m strong enough to defeat them, and he said not to worry. It will not come to anything, according to him, but if it does…I trust Master Luke with my life.”

“Mmm.” You say, face buried in his chest. His words were confident but you sense the slight edge of fear. The hand in your hair stills, while the other one taps nervously on his chest.

You take Ben’s hand and bring it to your lips. For a second you feel his fear, and see a dreadful vision. There’s screaming and pain, death stalking people in swirling black robes and red light. But then you see Ben, and the dark cloaked figure lies at his feet. The vision fades and you clutch his hand, trying to relax your breathing.

“What did you see?” he asks softly.

“You will defeat this spirit, that much I know,” you say. “But it will not be at this school. You’re safe here.”

You try to figure out how to explain the rest of the vision to him. Prophesies were tricky things, and had a nasty habit of coming true once they were told. You want to spare Ben of the malevolent figure if you can.

But the choice is already made for you: his fingers curl under your chin and hold your head up to meet his lips, and you lean into Ben’s kiss.

The future can wait, for now. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic on ao3, and the first in this fandom. I watched The Last Jedi and fell for Ben Solo, this is the result. Any screw-ups with the canon are entirely my own.


End file.
